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(No ModeL) J. A. GEORGE.

IMPLEMENT FOR STRAIGHTENING AXLBS.

No. 327.787. Patented Oct. 6, 1885.

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Wtngsses, Invento 7", T James J. Gov'ye,

tirvr'rnn STATES JAMES A. GEORGE, OF SOUTHBRIDGE,

PATENT @rrrca MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IMPLEMENT FOR STRAIGHTENING AXLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 327,787, dated October 6,1885.

Application filed July 29, 1885.

T 0 ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Janus A. GEORGE, of Southbridge, county of Vorcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Implements for Straightening Oarriage-Axles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to an implement for straightening carriage'axles when they become sprung or bent from their true position, the object being to straighten the axle without removing it from the carriage and without injury to the paint or finish of the carriage;

The usual method heretofore practiced of straightening earriage'axles when they have become sprung is to remove the iron axle from the wood port-ion of the frame-work of the carriage and then heat the axle and straighten it-a process which is inconvenient and expensive, and invariably results in serious injury to the appearance of the vehicle. In order to obviate this objection I have devised an implement by which the axle can be straightened without heating and without removing it from the carriage, the said implement consisting, essentially, of a lever which bears on the axle-arm at one side of the flange at the inner end of the said arm, and a fulcrum-piece which engages the axle on the op posite side from the lever and at the other side of the flange, so that by pressing on the lever the axle may be bent just at the neck of the axle-arm, which is the placewhere the bending or springing of the axle usually takes place when the spring or bend is up or down. I have also provided a device to be used in connection with the lever for removing lateral curvature in the axle, the said device consisting, essentially, of a box which fits upon the lever, and is provided with lugs near its ends to engage one side of the carriageaxle, and a screw or pressing device which engages the other side of the carriage'axle at an intermediate point between the said lugs.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a oarriageaxle having applied to it a straightening implement embodying this invention in proper position to remove an upward bend or spring of the axle-arm, which is the kind of bend most likely to occur; Fig. 2, a plan view of a portion of the carriageaxle with a straightening device applied in proper position to remove lateral curvature; Figs. 3 and 4, side and end elevations, respectively, of the device for removing lateral curvature, detached; Fig. 5, an end elevation of the device for bending the axle in a vertical direction and Figs. 6 and 7, a side and end elevation, respectively, of a modification of the implement to be referred to.

The implement is adapted to be used with an axle-tree composed of an iron bar, a, adapted bend back the axle, or bring the arm (I to the proper horizontal position, when it has thus been sprung, without removing the axle from the wood portion b, I have devised an implement consisting of a lever, of sufficient length to give the requisite power to bend the metal of the axle, the said lever being bent or offset at its end and provided with a fulcrumbearing. (Shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5 as con sisting of a transverse pin or trunnions, g.)

The portion at the junction of the long and short arms of the lever f is curved, as shown at f, forming a seat portion, which bears on the axlearm (1 near its inner end, and also rests against the outer edge of the flange 6, thus bringing a downward pressure on the arm d,

without, however, tending to bend the said arm itself, as would be the case if the pressure were applied near the outer end of the arm. In order to afford a support for the fulcrumbearing 9 of thelever, and transmit the pressure to the opposite side of the axle and opposite side of the flange e from the point where the pressure is applied to the axle-arm, the lever is provided with a fulcrum-piece or supporting device, consisting, essentially, of a mo strap or loop, which is pivotally connected with the lever, and passes over the axle, and

Axles of this class usually 0' engages the latter at the opposite side of the flange g from the part engaged by the bearing or seat portionf of the lever. In order to make the said strap adjustable to fit axles of different size, it is, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, composed of three members, h h h", the side members, 71 h, extending from the fulcrumbearing 9 over the sides of the axle, and the transverse or bearing portion h extending across between the ends of the side portions, h h, to afford a bearing on the axle. The portion it consists of a bolt or bar having a threaded end, enabling. the side pieces, h h, to be set a greater or less distance apart, according to the thickness of the axle, in a horizontal direction; and in order to adjust the strap to the proper length for the thickness of the axle in a vertical direction, the said pieces Ii h are slotted, as best shown in Fig. 1, and contain a bearing-block, 7L3, which engages the trunnions or fulcrum-bearing pieces 9 of the lever, and may be moved lengthwise of the slot by adjusting devices, (shown as thumbscrews 7%,) to vary the effective length of the strap or side pieces, it, between the bearing bar If and the trunnions g.

In using the device to remove a vertical bend inthe axle the latter is supported on a jack, '5, in the usualmanner, and the wheel removed, and the straightening device applied with the transverse or bearing portion h of the fulcrum-strap at the inside of the flange e, or resting in the angle between the portion a of the axle and the said flange at the upper or under side of the axle, according as the spring or bend is downward or upward, and the lever f isplaced with its bearing or seat portion f resting'upon the axle-arm and against the adjacent side of the flange c, with the long arm of the lever extending outward from thebody of the vehicle. Then, by pressing on the lever f, forces will be brought to bear upon the axle in opposite directions and at opposite sides of the flange e, tending to bend the said axle just at its junction with the said flange, and thus easily bending the axle j ust the proper amount at this point to bring the arm 01 to its normal or horizontal position, the operation being performed without injury to the paint or finish of the carriage, and with less injury to the material of the axle than when the latter is heated for the purpose of straightening.

When the implementis to be used with only one size of axle, it may be made, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, with the fulcrum-strap consisting of an open link of sufficient size to pass over the flange e, and of proper length to give the leverf the proper bearing on the axle-arm.

It will be seen that when the apparatus is used for removing a vertical bend it is, with the exception of the lower portion of the fulcrum-piece, wholly outside of the neck of the axle-arm and away from the body of the vehicle, so that it may be conveniently used without interfering with any part of the vehicle or necessitating the detachment of any part except the wheel from the axle to be straightened p WVhen the axle becomes sprung laterally, it usually has a curvature extending over a considerable length, instead of a sharp bend at one point, as when it is sprung vertically. In order to remove such lateral curvature, a device is provided consisting of a box, m, of

proper size to fit closely over the lever f, so

that the two together form a strong rigid beam, the said box being provided with lugs n, which extend across below the axle and engage the latter at the opposite side from the box m, as shown in Fig. 2, and at a distance 7 the axle to bend it in the opposite direction to that in which it has been previously bent or sprung, so as to remove the curvature and straighten the axle.

The lever f has to be inserted in the box in with the short arm or offset portion of the said lever projecting outward from the said axle, as shown in Fig. 2, and if the curvaturewere in the opposite direction to that shown in the said figure the lever would have to be re moved from the box and its position reversed with relation thereto, so that when the box was applied at the other side of the axle the short arm of the lever would still project out from the axle, and the long arm of the lever project outward toward the axle-arm (1, rather than across beneath the carriage-body.

By making the straightening device for lateral curvature as a hollow box to cooperate with the lever f,a considerable saving of material is effected, as the said lever gives the said box the requisite stiffness, while if the latter were to be made as an independent device it would have to be of solid metal of a cross-section as large as that of the lever f.

I claim 1. An implement for removing the spring from or straightening the axles of vehicles while in place on the vehicle, comprising a lever having a bearing or seat portion for engaging the axle-arm near the flange, combined with a fulcrum piece consisting of a loop, which engages the lever and extends therefrom for the purpose of embracing the axle, and bearing on the opposite side of the axle from the lever and at the opposite side of the flange of the axle, substantially as described.

2. in an implement for straightening axles of vehicles while in place on the vehicle, the combination of a lever bent or offset at its end, and provided with a fulcrum-bearing portion on the offset, with a fulcrum-piece composed of twoside pieces for embracing the and a box fitting upon the said lever, proaxle, adj ustably connected with the fulcrumvided with lugs and a pressing device for rehearing portion of the lever, and a transverse moving lateral bend or curvature from the bearing-piece adjustable in length for the puraxle, substantially as described. I 5 5 pose of varying the distance between the side In testimony whereof I have signed my name pieces, substantially as described. to this specification in the presence of two sub- 3. As an improved article of manufacture, scribing witnesses. an apparatus for straightening the axles of JAMES A. GEORGE. vehicles without removal from the vehicle, W'ltnesses:

IO comprising a lever and fulcrum-piece for re- EVERETTE A. BROWN,

moving vertical bend or spring of the axle, ELISHA M. PHILLIPS. 

